What Can a Culture of Hispanic STEM Success Look Like?
The UHD Scholars Academy academic unit has an 18-year history of creating a culture of STEM success bridging to Advanced Degree programs. This presentation will outline key components which create the bridges along with recurring activities acting to build and sustain Hispanic students’ skill, competence, and confidence levels envisioning the next step in their workforce career.
Presenters will offer “how to” explanations related to programmatic components, data collection, enlisting non-grant funded PhDs into participation. Additionally, on-campus student research opportunities will be outlined and described with sample agendas and programs distributed. Finally, data driven outcomes related to the successes will be provided.
Technologies
MS Excel spreadsheets and Access Database; Banner, PeopleSoft, Social Networks: LinkedIn, FaceBook;
Explain project results
Presenters will outline key components associated with critical transition periods for FTIC and Transfer STEM students which act to create not only a culture of advanced degree programs, but also provide entry points to metrics associated with confidence and competence levels of participants. Institutionalized campus events provide conduits enabling participants to envision themselves within the career workforce, thus adding to their personal bridge to the advanced degree program. As examples of several institutionalized events, the Graduate School and Internship Fair and the Student Research Conference provide concrete examples of interactions with the advanced degree workforce or graduate programs encouraging STEM students to grow in comfort, competence, and envision possibilities for their own future. Additionally, a tiered system of leadership development through mentored research, ambassadorship positions, and small community mentor program all contribute to STEM competencies supportive of the knowledge arena, but also empowering leadership for the students. Longitudinal data of known current levels of current bridges and data collection methods will be shared, thus providing a mechanism application aspect to the presentation. As an example of current levels of success in the last 15 months (2017 – 2018) over 8 PhDs and 3 MDs have completed their advanced degrees. More data such as this will be shared. Further, the role of social media in data collection will be reviewed.
Why it should be considered best practice?
UHD is a Minority-serving and Hispanic-serving institution thus minorities and underrepresented undergraduates are the primary students served. Scholars Academy program has a lengthy history of support and success for underrepresented within the STEM arena. The length of success as presented will include components for replication and date as to success in STEM careers.
Highlights of your proposed presentation and lessons learned
Longitudinal data of known current levels of current bridges and data collection methods will be shared, thus providing a mechanism application aspect to the presentation. As an example of current levels of success in the last 15 months (2017 – 2018) over 8 PhDs and 3 MDs have completed their advanced degrees. More data such as this will be shared. Further, the role of social media in data collection will be reviewed.